04-19-2015, 09:41 AM
a disturbing description of the current situation for workers at the Maunakea Visitor Information Station as related to me from a friend who used to be the manager up there. from his conversation this morning with the current management of Mauna Kea Observatories Support Services.
workers at the Visitor Station feeling increasingly harassed by the ongoing assortment of actions by many of the protestors who have been camped out near the Station. these actions by the protestors being characterized as intimidating, rude and disruptive to the staff.
some examples as relayed to me:
- general rude and intimidating behavior towards staff at the protestor roadblock regulating summit access.
- disruption in the gift shop (standing directly in front of the register and staring at workers there).
- repeatedly "trashing" the Visitor Station restroom facilities, meaning intentionally making an appalling mess of it. feces left thrown onto walls for workers to clean.
- producing noise and light disturbances at night, presumably with the intention to interfere with telescope operations.
if these incidents are indeed true, i think it would be good to have them documented and verified as much as possible, then relayed to the media. personally, i trust my friend to relay the conversation which i saw taking place between him and MKSS management, but of course it very much needs some sort of real verification. i hope this can be done and, if accurate, the public made fully aware and the workers provided with adequate security.
workers at the Visitor Station feeling increasingly harassed by the ongoing assortment of actions by many of the protestors who have been camped out near the Station. these actions by the protestors being characterized as intimidating, rude and disruptive to the staff.
some examples as relayed to me:
- general rude and intimidating behavior towards staff at the protestor roadblock regulating summit access.
- disruption in the gift shop (standing directly in front of the register and staring at workers there).
- repeatedly "trashing" the Visitor Station restroom facilities, meaning intentionally making an appalling mess of it. feces left thrown onto walls for workers to clean.
- producing noise and light disturbances at night, presumably with the intention to interfere with telescope operations.
if these incidents are indeed true, i think it would be good to have them documented and verified as much as possible, then relayed to the media. personally, i trust my friend to relay the conversation which i saw taking place between him and MKSS management, but of course it very much needs some sort of real verification. i hope this can be done and, if accurate, the public made fully aware and the workers provided with adequate security.